Infant nasal feeding tube



y 1952 H. TURKEL INFANT NASAL FEEDING TUBE Filed Feb. 9, 1950 INVENTOR. l/amy TURKEL ATToRNE Patented May 13, 1952 STATES PATENT OFFICE INFANT'NASAL FEEDING TUBE Henry T'urkel, Detroit, Mich.

Application February 9, 1959, Serial No; 143,307

dtGlai'msl 1 Tins mventien relates. to apparatus .for permitting the introduction of foodiinto the stomach of an. infant such as: an incubator "baby through the nasal passage;

-Heretofore in the-case of small infants or incubator babies, it .has been, diflicult to introduce food directly into the stomach due to the smaltness of sizes-of the various organs involved.

It the: object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which :will facilitate the introduction of food "intothe stomach of an infant or an incubator baby by employing a flexiblev plastic nonwollapsible tube of verysmall diameter; which be readily inserted through the nasal passage. and the "esophagus and down into the stomach.

It is the further nbject'oi the invention to prov-idea fieed'ing tube which wilt not clog or cal-lapse and which will be very light in weight.

llhese emd'other nbjects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended-drawingin which:

figure 1-. isaa fragmentary perspective view illustrating-the present feeding device and its attachment to a. source of. fluid or liquid food.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view showingv-the feedingzltnbe and a. glass adaptor at nneend.

Ffignure-3 isan enlargednsectionof the. upper end. of: the tube illustrating. the hollow needle which is mounted and. secured thereto.

Figure-4" is a fragmentary enlarged section of the lowerend of the feeding tube showing a plurality ofotrtletopmaings: and

Figure 5 is an elevational. view of the stylet adapted for insertion within the needle shown in Figure 3.

It will bexunderstood that. the above drawing illustrates merely a preferred embodiment of the invention and that other'em'bodiments are-"contemplated within the scope-pithe claimshereafter seti-out.

FReterfingtothedrawing there is Figurefiapplicants flexible plastic non-collapsible tube H which is provided at its lower end at l2 with a plurality of fluid outlets, any one or more of which would be usable in the event one or more of said outlets should become clogged.

The opposite end of applicant's open-ended tube H has projected therein at l5 the lower end of the hollow fluid delivery needle M with hollow head I3 whereby said tube may be adapted in the manner hereafter described to the diameter of a larger tube from which the liquid is to be supplied, it being remembered that applicants' tube preferably does not exceed onesixteenth of an inch in diameter.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the tubular needle I4 is shown on an'enlarged scale with its outer end projected into and suitably secured within the'iup-periend' oi the flexible feeding tube II as at '15. "The opposite end of the needle ll terminates in the hollow enlarged head 13 which hasan inwardly tapered opening Hi.

There is employed preferably a right angle glass adaptor [8' one of whose reduced tapered ends I! is adapted for projection into the corresponding tapered opening of needle handle 13, such as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

-"The other end IQ of said adaptor projects up into and is secured within the lower end of the enlarged rubber tube 24! which extends downwardly from the drip chamber 2|. The rubber tube 20" also joinsthe upper end of said chamber as shown in Figure 1,. and the upper end-of said tube suitably secured to the inverted fluid container '22 which by means of the hanger 24 is supported upon the upright standard 23. Thus fluid or liquidfood under the force of gravity may be supplied through a substantially large tube 20, and by means of the adaptor l8 and the needle i 3l-l4 may be directed into the interier of the present. small diameter feeding tube H.

Applicant'sflexible tube H as shown in Figure 1 is projected inwardly through the nasal passage of the infant or incubator baby and is taped at Zfitothe side of the face or head so as to be .immovably anchored. Applicant's tube is very light and may be lei-tin its inserted position-for as long as five :or six weeks without any apparent discomfort to the user.

Referring to. Figure 4 there is shown an enlargedview of the lower end of the feeding tube which would project into the infants stomach for supplying Iood. thereinto; A- metallic cylindrical tube 21 or tip having a longitudinal channel28 isprojected up intothe lower outlet .end of the tube II and suitably secured i-n position, whereby fluid food may be directed-into the infants stomach from tube I I' through the longitudinal passage 23 in the tip 21.

In addition to the outlet 28 at the lower end of tube H there is also provided a pair of transverse outlet openings 29 and 3| within the tub-e 21, said openings being longitudinally spaced and preferably arranged upon opposite sides of said tube. Corresponding transverse outlet openings 30 and 32 are formed within the lower end of the tube H in registry with the tip openings 29 and 3|.

By this construction it is unlikely that there would be complete interruption in the flow of food through the tube ll due to the clogging of an opening in its lower end. By the provision of the three outlets 28, 30 and 32 there is thus an assurance that if one or even two openings of outlets should become clogged that there will still be another outlet available through which the fluid food may be delivered.

Referring to Figure 5 there is shown a needle stylet 33 with a handle 34, said needle stylet being adapted for introduction through the upper end of the needle and handle I l-I3 to thereby effectively close off the upper end of the tube I I.

The stylet shaft 33 snugly projects down into the tubular needle 14 whereas the corresponding portion 34 of th stylet handle projects within the tapered opening I6 of stylet handle l3. Thus with the adaptor disconnected, the feeding tube may be effectively closed off and sealed substantially at its upper end, to thus prevent the accidental introduction of any particle of dust or other substance.

When the feeding tube is to be used, the stylet is merely removed manually and the end I! of the adaptor l8 projected into the tapered opening IS in the handle of said needle, after which said adaptor is joined to a conventional fluid supply device such as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing.

The tube is preferably constructed of a plastic substance and is noncollapsible. When not in use the tube may be simply coiled into a very small space for storage.

While the present invention and feeding device may be introduced into the stomach through the nasal passage of the infant it is contemplated that if desired said device could be introduced rectally, inasmuch as the diameter of the tube is preferably less than a sixteenth of an' inch thereby minimizing possible irritation.

When not in use the flexible tube II is preferably filled With water and the stylet 33 inserted within the needl I4. On the other hand the adaptor l8 could be left in position as shown in Figure 2 and with the upper end IQ of said adaptor properly stoppered.

As shown in Figure 2 there are provided upon the tube 4 l a series of spaced markings or indicia 35 preferably in centimeters which would indicate the depth of insertion of said tube into the in fants stomach.

While the container 22 has been shown as a preferred method of supplying fluid through the feeding tube I I it is also contemplated that fluid could be supplied to the upper end is of the adaptor l8, or directly to the tapered opening l6 of the needle head by means of a suitable syringe.

Applicants tube l I has been described as being plastic and non-collapsible. It is contemplated that a plastic material be employed which is chemically inert with respect to stomach acids. As to being non-collapsible the inventor has in mind a collapse of the tubular wall at right angles to its longitudinal axis.

Having described my invention reference 4 should now be had to the claims which follow for determining the scope thereof.

I claim:

1. A device adapted to permit the introduction of liquids into the stomach of an infant through the nasal passage comprising a flexible openended tube, the lower end of said tube having a pair of longitudinally spaced transverse outlets formed therein upon opposite sides thereof, and a hollow fluid delivery needle projected down into and secured within the upper end of said tube, said needle having an enlarged handle portion with an internal inwardly tapered bor in communication with the interior of said needle.

2. A device adapted to permit the introduction of liquids into the stomach of an infant through the nasal passage comprising a flexible openended tube, the lower end of said tube having a pair of longitudinally spaced transverse outlets formed therein upon opposite sides thereof, a hollow fluid delivery needle projected down into and secured within the upper end of said tube, said needle having an'enlarged handle portion with an internal inwardly tapered bore in communication with the interior of said needle, and an adaptor with one end inserted and secured within said handle.

3. A device adapted to permit the introduction of liquids into the stomach of an infant through the nasal passage comprising a flexible openended tube, the lower end of said tube having a pair of longitudinally spaced transverse outlets formed therein, and a hollow fluid delivery needle projected down into and secured within the upperend of said tube, said needle having an enlarged handle portion with an internal bore in communication with the interior of said needle. I

4. A device adapted to permit the introduction of liquids into the stomach of an infant through the nasal passage comprising a flexible openended tube, the lower end of said tub having a pair of longitudinally spaced transverse outlets formed therein, a hollow fluid delivery needle projected down into and secured within the upper end of said tube, said needl having an enlarged handle portion with an inter'nal bore in communication with the interior of said'needle, and an open ended tubular metallic element inserted and secured within the lower end of said tube and having transverse openings in the wall thereof in registry with said tube openings. HENRY TURKE REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,464,933 Kaslow Mar. 22, 1949 

